Vehicle lavatory with air replenishment system

Abstract

A vehicle lavatory monument assembly that includes an enclosure having a plurality of walls that cooperate to define a lavatory interior, an entry door, and a toilet positioned in the lavatory interior. The enclosure includes an inlet and the toilet includes an outlet. An air replenishment system is configured to move a first volume of air from the lavatory interior and through the outlet and a second volume of air through the inlet an into the lavatory interior to replenish the air in the lavatory interior.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A vehicle lavatory monument assembly comprising:
 an enclosure that includes a plurality of walls that cooperate to define a lavatory interior, wherein one of the plurality of walls includes an entry door thereon, and wherein the enclosure includes an inlet,   a toilet positioned in the lavatory interior, wherein the toilet includes an outlet,   an air replenishment system configured to move a first volume of air from the lavatory interior and through the outlet and a second volume of air through the inlet an into the lavatory interior.   
     
     
         2 . The vehicle lavatory monument assembly of  claim 1  wherein the air replenishment system includes a manual activation switch configured to activate the air replenishment system, and wherein the manual activation switch is located outside the lavatory interior. 
     
     
         3 . The vehicle lavatory monument assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the manual activation switch is part of an activation assembly, wherein the activation assembly includes an indication system that is configured to indicate an air status of the lavatory interior. 
     
     
         4 . The vehicle lavatory monument assembly of  claim 3 , wherein the indication system includes a plurality of indication lights that include a first indication state and a second indication state, wherein the first indication state indicates that the vehicle interior is clean, and wherein the second indication state indicates that the vehicle interior is not clean. 
     
     
         5 . The vehicle lavatory monument assembly of  claim 4  wherein the activation assembly is positioned on the entry door. 
     
     
         6 . The vehicle lavatory monument assembly of  claim 2  wherein the manual activation switch is disabled when the lavatory interior is occupied. 
     
     
         7 . The vehicle lavatory monument assembly of  claim 2  wherein the manual activation switch is disabled when the entry door is locked. 
     
     
         8 . The vehicle lavatory monument assembly of  claim 1  wherein the air replenishment system includes a controller that is configured to activate the air replenishment system a predetermined number of seconds after the lavatory interior has been vacated. 
     
     
         9 . The vehicle lavatory monument assembly of  claim 1  wherein the air replenishment system includes a controller that is configured to activate the air replenishment system a predetermined amount of time after a previous activation of the air replenishment system. 
     
     
         10 . A vehicle lavatory monument assembly comprising:
 an enclosure that includes a plurality of walls that cooperate to define a lavatory interior, wherein one of the plurality of walls includes an entry door thereon, and wherein the enclosure includes an inlet,   a toilet positioned in the lavatory interior, wherein the toilet includes an outlet,   an air replenishment system configured to move a first volume of air from the lavatory interior and through the outlet and a second volume of air through the inlet an into the lavatory interior, wherein the air replenishment system includes an activation assembly positioned on an outside of the entry door, wherein the activation assembly includes a manual activation switch configured to activate the air replenishment system and a plurality of indication lights, wherein the indication lights that include a first indication state that indicates that the vehicle interior is clean and a second indication state that indicates that the vehicle interior is not clean, wherein the manual activation switch is disabled when the lavatory interior is occupied and when the entry door is locked, wherein the air replenishment system includes a controller that is configured to activate the air replenishment system a predetermined number of seconds after the lavatory interior has been vacated.   
     
     
         11 . The vehicle lavatory monument assembly of  claim 10  wherein the controller is configured to activate the air replenishment system a predetermined amount of time after a previous activation of the air replenishment system. 
     
     
         12 . A method of replenishing air in a lavatory interior of a vehicle lavatory that includes a toilet with an outlet, the method comprising the steps of:
 (a) moving a first volume of air from the lavatory interior and through the outlet and a second volume of air through the inlet an into the lavatory interior.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the step (a) is performed after activation of a manual activation switch. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the manual activation switch is located outside the lavatory interior. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12  wherein step (a) is performed a predetermined number of seconds after the lavatory interior has been vacated.